‘All eyes on El Niño’ as drought swells again

A look at this week’s Drought Monitor showed more of the same – drought across half of the country.

Conditions did improve significantly across portions of Iowa, Nebraska and eastern Texas; however, these areas also paid a steep price for the welcomed drought relief, these areas also experience an outbreak of severe weather, including devastating tornadoes.

Not all states in the heartland were lucky enough to see drought relief. Three Plains states in particular are facing the full brunt of the drought:

Further to the west, California is sinking into “unprecedented” levels of drought.

All of the state is in severe or worse drought for the first time this century. It’s a drought National Drought Mitigation Center Climatologist Mark Svoboda explained to USA Today as a “once-in-a-generation” drought.

The only other California drought similar to today’s drought was during the 1920s, when the state’s population was just 1/10th of what it is now.

"All eyes are on El Niño’, although the intensity is going to be the key," Svoboda said. "I'd hate to wish for a super strong El Niño’ given the damage it can cause, but they desperately need the water!"

Wildfires have already roared across California, not a little more than a tinderbox . More than 14 square miles have been scorched this week alone, and it is expected to only get worse.